There are numerous challenges with owning a successful pool design and build business, including weather and unforeseen building process obstacles. Budgeting and labor planning can almost seem like a roller coaster ride. One thing that is a constant is the need to drive leads, more customers. While building beautiful pools that create happy homeowners are an obvious crucial essential, getting enough customers to sustain a healthy business is even more important.

A steady pipeline of work is every design/build or landscape company’s dream. So why is it that most experience busy and slow times throughout the year? The secret lies in neglecting marketing when business is good, and then having to suddenly scramble to find new customers or reconnect with past customers when things slow down.

The need for transparency in SEO services is the main driver in HALSTEAD’s mission to change landscape and pool contractors’ perception of this area of marketing and help them understand how it all works. Our strategies align with data-fueled insights from hundreds of case studies—our approach is based on experience of what works, rather than assumptions or guesses.

Old-school contractor marketing was largely limited to display ads in regionally focused, industry-specific magazines, and setting up booths at a home show or two. These marketing methods are referred to as “outbound marketing.” They still have their place in the world, but are often compared to “yelling” at prospects and hoping they’ll listen. Sometimes they do, but it’s more effective to gear your strategy more toward inbound marketing and effective content marketing.

Ignoring the importance of online marketing would be a costly setback for your growing design/build company and so would failing to evaluate the effectiveness of your chosen marketing strategy. So, what is the best way to approach marketing your landscape or remodeling services online?

When you partner with a marketing agency, they become an extension of your existing team. The right marketing agency will make it so you can focus on what you do best. Here’s a lesson learned for when a partnership can work well—or fall apart.

If your design/build or landscaping company seems to be struggling as of late with handling communications with existing and potential customers, you may have been advised to invest in a CRM tool or system that will help you streamline the customer relations management process.

There's nothing quite like a beautiful flyover of a clean, gorgeous swimming pool and glistening waterfalls set against the earthy colors of a paver patio and lush landscaping. It’s a special view—often made available on Instagram or on your website—that very few would be able to see firsthand (unless they were a pilot).

As a leading website providing remodeling and home-improvement ideas and inspiration, Houzz quickly jumped to the top of the remodeling industry’s radar. But does spending advertising budget on Houzz’s Pro+ program reap the benefits that it boasts for construction contractors, building product manufacturers and dealers, and designers?

Do landscape design/build companies really benefit from using the popular home services marketplace Angie’s List? The website is popular with some consumers who view it as an easy search solution for finding landscape contractors, and some contractors think they can establish a legitimate presence for those homeowners simply by having a listing.

Websites are now where prospects of your design/build business are likely to start. To seek out where they can find a pro for their particular project, to find out what kind of business you run and services you provide, and to decide whether to reach out and get more information from you. Make yours better with these 7 tips.

It’s time to separate SEO fact from SEO fiction and highlight 15 of the biggest myths that still seem to find their way into modern strategies for search engine optimization in the construction industry.

The foundations of the marketing plan aren’t changing—strategy and brand still set the stage. And as the industry becomes evermore competitive—evermore cutthroat—and as the communications landscape is constantly transformed by technology, managing and promoting your brand only becomes more crucial to building consumer connections.

Your website is a multi-faceted marketing tool that really only reaches full potential when it becomes an effective online hub for driving revenue. It’s the central touch point to all others—it’s where most of your prospects ultimately land, regardless of how they first contact you, and increasingly, that first contact is not made while sitting in a chair, browsing on a desktop computer.

Your website is far from the only asset that benefits from compelling content. Not surprisingly in 2020 and beyond, content is, and will be continue to be, king across all initiatives when it comes to marketing pool builders, landscape designb/builds, and kitchen and bath remodelers.

Project case studies present a serious opportunity to let prospects take a deeper dive into your portfolio, to experience the dramatic transformation of successful projects as they unfold—from concept to completion. They’re an invaluable tool for conveying powerful narratives, not only about your most stunning work but about the distinctive nuances of your value proposition and brand.

Past experiences with search engine optimization professionals may have soured many owners and leadership on the whole concept, but that doesn’t change the importance of organic search and paid search (pay per click or PPC) strategies working in tandem.

Not unlike search, social media marketing for design/builds can effectively be broken down into two categories—paid and organic. Depending on the platform, both are worthwhile to include in your budget, but the tactics deployed on each vary greatly based on expected goals.

It’s well-established that the most convincing source of marketing information has always been endorsements from your satisfied customers. That’s been true from the dawn of commerce, and it’s just as true in the digital age.

Holding the attention of your prospects and reliably capturing leads requires a level of responsiveness that’s just not possible without automation. After all, running a leading design/build firm doesn’t exactly leave for a lot of free time.